Tech: My new guitar + the new Fender Strat VG

Subject: Tech: My new guitar + the new Fender Strat VG
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 09:32 PM

Framus guitars are made in Germany and started in 1946 when Fred Wilfer received permission to found a violin factory in Bavaria. He formed Franconian Music Production Fred Wilfer Investment and it employed violin-makers from Schoenbach. In the late fifties, Franconian Music (or Framus for short) entered the guitar market making electrics and acoustics as well as basses. John Lennon played Framus as did Bill Wyman and Ritchie Blackmore. Competition with the Japanese guitar manufacturers and their price-dumping strategies forced Framus out of business in the 70s. In 1995, Framus was reconstituted by Warwick.

I don't know if my Framus is an original model although it seems so. 5/196 is the pre-1973 designation for this model. Newer models uses a different designation and this guitar has the old-style number written on the label down inside the sound box along with "Made in W. Germany" and West Germany certainly has not existed since 1995. So mine is an old original Framus. I bought it from some guy who runs an occult bookstore in the area. He had it sitting there and let me play it and then said it was mine for 3 smackers. So I bought it a few days later. Can't get the link to work but you can try it on your own:

http://www.framus-vintage.de/modules/model...=4635&cl=EN

Also check out the new Stratocasters. Very nice:

Fender Strat VG

Subject: RE: Tech: My new guitar + the new Fender Strat VG
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 09:40 PM

Whoops. I cut the whole first paragraph out of my post so here it is:

Bought a new acoustic. It's by Framus and appears to be 5/196 model, what's known as a Texan. Actually it looks like 5/1961 but there is no such designation listed at their sight. Might be a 5/196 with a lowercase L or maybe it's an upper case I. No idea when it was built. The one below has the same basic shape and the same design such as the tailpiece/bridge, headboard, etc. The sides and back aren't black though. The back is arched like on an archtop but the top is flat like a flat top. The nut is metal and the fretboard has a zero fret--the only acoustic I own that has one. The neck is like an electric in shape and handling and joins to the body that way--no heel--it bolts to the body by sliding into a big wooden block. Very nice warmth and richness of tone.